kody jones

Previously: Podcast 15.0A, 15.0B, 15.0C. The Story. Quarterback. Running Back. Wide Receiver. Tight End. Interior OL. Defensive Interior. Edge. Linebacker.

Depth Chart

Well, on the one hand you have two of the best defensive backs in America. On the other you have a great sea of uncertainty led by a UMass transfer. It'll be fine, in all probability, because Michigan has six or seven guys competing for one spot on the defense and the UMass transfer has almost literally as much experience as it is possible to have while still being allowed to play college football.

But, I mean, this is it. This is the Worry Spot. This is the most concerning thing about the entire 2023 Michigan Wolverines: who is going to play opposite the reincarnation of Charles Woodson.

CORNERBACK: MY NAME IS KIIIIIIIIID WOODSON

RATING: 4.

This preview series has now referenced two of Michigan's famous Musical Dirtbags and will undoubtedly work in some sort of juggalos reference before it ends. This is what you don't pay me for, folks.

[Fuller]

Anyway, WILL JOHNSON came in as a 6'2", five-star corner and those guys simply do not miss. The question was "when will he not miss" and the answer was right… about… now…

CB #2 to top

On the opening snap of The Game Michigan put him in press coverage with no safety help against Marvin Harrison Jr and he obliterated the first WR off the board in the 2024 draft. That was a statement of intent. (PFF, infuriatingly, did not count this as a target.) Ohio State targeted Johnson downfield exactly one more time (a comeback to Fleming that was complete for 15 yards) before it was 38-23 and Michigan started playing to bleed the clock.

[After THE JUMP: Hail, Hail to Sainristil]

Help, what are all these words? The UFR Glossary.

Substitution Notes: Backups got a lot of play. Morris and Harrell were the starters at edge, with Taylor Upshaw matching them for snaps as Morris slid down to DT for pass rush packages. Backups were Derrick Moore and Braiden McGregor, with spot appearances at weakside for Eyabi Anoma. DTs were Mazi and Jenkins with Graham and Benny rotating in (more for Jenkins than Smith) and a third team of Rooks and Goode. Safety was Rod Moore and Moten, who rotated with Paige until Moore came out with the starters for Kolesar. Sainristil held down nickel all game, including when CSU went 2TE. CB was DJ Turner and Gemon Green mostly with Will Johnson rotating in for a drive here and there.

Formation Notes: Updating the “Hi” column this year to provide more information on the secondary alignment. Press/Off are self-explanatory. “Fld” or “Bdy” mean only the field or boundary CB is playing off. Reminder that "Hat" (as in: tip o' the…) means the other team's player did a thing all on his own. It can be positive (helped) or negative (nice job, guy on other team).

CSU's favorite formation was a 3-wide with the TE half-flexed. Michigan's formations were mostly the same as last year's plus this 5-1 look from Nickel personnel (that's Barrett at the top). I called it "Nk 5-1"

They also rolled out a 3-3-5 look with Upshaw (on the 45 below the hash) dropped back like a LB. Nk 3-3-5.

And this was the look before the 4th and 7 strip-six, which I called "Y-Stack" because the SS, WLB, and Edge are all over the TE, with Paige down near the LOS. Michigan brought the house.

On epithets, pseudonyms, sobriquets, and general patronymity: When I say "Green" I mean Gemon; I'll use "German" when it's his brother. The Johnson is Will, and if Quinten plays he can be Q-Jo. "Moore" is Rod Moore, and Derrick Moore is "D-Mo." The Pollards are going by their first names, Micah (the LB) and Myles (the CB). NHG=Nikhai Hill-Green. Juice=Julius Welschof. And Kody Jones is K.Jones for the purposes of future-proofing. Apologies to the people who asked me to use full names, but the tradeoff is fewer mistakes.

Also "PR" means pressure, "cov" is coverage, and "RPS" is rock-paper-scissors, IE effects of the play calls. Let's do this!

Previously: Podcast 14.0A, 14.0B, 14.0C. The Story. Quarterback. Running Back. Wide Receiver. Tight End. Offensive Tackle. Interior OL. Defensive Interior. Edge. Linebacker.

Depth Chart

This isn't quite the halcyon days of five or so years ago when David Long and Jourdan Lewis were hanging out with Lavert Hill waiting his turn. It's not that far off, though, thanks to a belated but massive recruiting hit named DJ Turner and the addition of a can't-miss kind of five star recruit. Michigan has a couple of veteran guys to go with them, and so far they've kept their nose in front of the five star. It would be nice to have another top-100 guy floating around here but for this year that'll do.

CORNERBACK: SPIN THAT ISH

RATING: 4.

if you were a DJ calling yourself DJ Turner would be too on the nose [Marc-Gregor Campredon]

The emergence of DJ TURNER last season was unexpected. Sometimes guys burst through and are clearly the best option at cornerback after having scant roles early in the season, but almost always those are young players. Turner was in year three and didn't have world-beaters in front of him. Vincent Gray was a UDFA after entering the draft; Gemon Green had an up-and-down season we're about to address.

Since corner is the most ruthlessly physical position in football, if you're a dude you're immediately a dude. Sometimes you can go from a disaster to a guy (JT Floyd, Gray), but you usually cannot go from off the radar to dude. Unless you're Turner, who apparently decided to be one halfway through year three. Going over the UFRs was entertaining, because the summary section contained bits headlined "Maybe Turner can play?" and "Turner might be real?" for a solid month. Yes, Virginia, there is a cornerback.